November 21st 2015 - Space saving

There is so much on this blog about space saving in a shared bedroom, some of which I have already done.  My 2 older boys share the smaller of the 2 big rooms (I have the biggest).  They are always moaning that they have no space to do anything (they would have more IF they tidied it!)

Anyway we already have bunk beds in there and use the space under them as storage with plastic boxes - shoes, lego drawing/colouring stuff etc.  The bunk beds are in a corner of the room so not to waste any space.  However, I would prefer a straight ladder rather than the angled stick out one, I think we may have a play at some point and see if we can make its straight and fixed to the bed.

The wardrobe that they had in their was old and not very safe and the drawers were broken.  So we decided to dismantle it and move the clothes into the fixed cupboard in the wall, we did have to buy a new set of drawers to hold the clothes that don't hang like pjs, undies and jumpers.  We also kept the fabric hanging rack so that they had some shelving as well.  This has worked really well and reduced 1 item that needed to be in the room.

Next came the old computer table (still with computer on it) that hasn't been used in over a year by the eldest as he has a mobile phone and uses my laptop if he needs on the net for homework etc.  This has been removed from the room as well, again giving a little bit more space.  The younger ones computer is on his chest of drawers that hold his clothes so the drawers have a duel purpose, they are also tucked up in a corner out of the way.

The eldest son had a small square unit that he had when he had the small room on his own.  It had small plastic trays in the square shelves which he has random things in - deodrants n bits in one, mini figures in another, odds and ends in another and so on.  I wasn't sure where I was going to put this and then noticed that there was a spce at the end of the bed on the wall and it was as though it was made for the unit.  So he has still has his shelves and baskets of odds n ends and they are out of the way.

They both have a 6ft high bookcase, which houses their tv and books.  The younger of the 2 boys also had his games n bits on his bookcase and no room for more books.  So hubby went to argos and bought and upright shelf unit (bathroom storage one) and this is now stood beside the head of the beds with the games and all other toys n stuff off the floor. 

We are now pretty much sorted in their room and they had a big space down one side of the room.  Me and hubby said about getting them a sofa bed as it would help if family/friends come to stay as well as their friends.  Plus it would give them somewhere to sit and play rather than on their beds.  We have bought a 3-in-1 sofa bed thingy - it can be stacked as cubes, opened to make a sofa or laid flat as a bed.  I wouldn't say it will be great for daily use as a bed but for the odd night here and there it will be ok.  This hasn't arrived yet but i'm sure I will do a post about it when it does arrive.

The boys are happier about their space, not so happy that they still have to share (but unless I win the lottery I can't convert the loft or build an extension.)

November 13th 2015 - cleaning

As per todays pin "I get more cleaning done b4 someone comes over than all week."  Due to my knee being very sore this week and us altering the kitchen the house was a mess.  however my eldest son had asked if he could have his friend round and stay over for his birthday.

I agreed but this meant non-stop sorting out.  We ordered take away for tea and sat and pigged out on the floor.  the lads then played with lego and on their tablets upstairs.  They were told they had to shut up by midnight or I would be yelling.  i'm not sure what time they shut up and went sleep but i didnt hear them so all was good.

7th November 2015 - School shoes

I realised at 4pm today that my youngest son has been wearing his trainers for the past week at school as his school shoes had split before half term.  I also realised at the same time that he cant wear his trainers tomorrow for Remembrance Parade with St John Ambulance!

This meant 1 thing we had to do a mad dash to Brantano (where I dont like buying from as usually have limited shoes for boys) to buy a pair of black school shoes.  I'm hoping  that these will last until christmas (or afterwards).

October 29th 2015 - a simple math sum.....

What do you get if you put 3 boys into a car, strap them in and set off on a 5hr journey???  The answer is simple fighting and arguing!

3 kids + a car journey = living nightmare


This is made even worse when the said 5hr journey has delays due to lots of traffic, road works and accidents and takes over 6hrs.    Despite them having dvds to watch, toys and games, books to read, food to eat.  it's not good enough for them and the "he took my toy" and "dont poke me" and "it wasnt me it was him" etc starts.

They cant do the simple thing of sit nicely and do own thing, no they have to fight and argue which winds me up and we are all stuck in this small metal tin on wheels that isnt going anywhere very fast, we're not even near a slip road so we cant get off and find a service station or park for 10mins!  it drives me mad.  sooooo glad i dont do it very often.

October 26th 2015 - job charts

Following on from my post the other day about getting my son a gohenry card we have today sat and had a long talk about money and how he cant get it for nothing.  And we have agreed that I will only add money to his card IF he does jobs to earn it.

There is an option to add extra money to the gohenry card for things like jobs etc but i'm not in a financial position to just give him money for nothing or on top of the money going on the card.  So it seems fair.

My son agreed on the jobs he would do and he has to do each job at least 3times a week to get the money for his card.  He wanted a minecraft job chart so we made one:

(this isn't all of it but a part pic).

However, the other 2 then decided that if their brother is getting money for jobs they also want the same - but only the middle has a gohenry card as the youngest is too young.  We have said we will open him an account at the bank.

But we have had to make them job charts as well.  Middle son wanted skylanders:

and the youngest wanted Thomas the Tank:

They all have some jobs the same but others are different, especially lil man who cant do things like hoovering the stairs or clearing the table that the older 2 can do, he has things like helping to load washing machine and tumble dryer.

Hopefully its going to work and they wont get bored like last  time we had job sheets.

October 10th 2015 - Christmas shoebox appeal

A few months back I picked up some fluffy socks and gloves in a sale and put them up ready for the Christmas Shoebox appeal.  Today I have sat and worked out what else we are going to put into the boxes.

The boys at infant/junior school do 1 box each as their school takes part  in it.  As with previous years we try and do 1 boy and 1 girl (and then what ever the 3rd child wanted).  I still need to buy quite a bit and need to find 2 boxes, but I still have plenty of time.

So my lists are as follows, those with line through I already have:

BOYS	GIRLS
Fluffy socks	Fluffy socks?
Bug puzzle game	Gloves & hat
Comb	Brush, Bobbles & clips
Notebook	Notebook
pens	pens
Sweets	Toothbrush & toothpaste
Gloves & hat	Skipping rope
Robot jigsaw	sweets
Toothbrush & toothpaste	Girly jigsaw
Soft teddy	Soft teddy

June 13th 2015 - Cardboard Slide

June 13th 2015 - Cardboard Slide

Yesterday saw the delivery of my wall mounted gazebo, it came in a 3m long box.  The said box I had dumped in the garden on the pile of "junk" that is going to the tip and thought nothing more of it.

My two youngest sons started to play with it last night and today they were using it as a Slide and sledge down the slope of the front garden.  Not quite like the pin where they are going down the stairs, if they did the stairs at my house I would be off to a&e as they would crash into a radiator and wall.

They have spent ages outside on their "home made slide".  I have taken some photos of them as well as videoing them.  Who says that you need expensive toys???  And so much for kids NOT having imaginations nowdays.  This was all their own doing and nothing to do with me!

May 31st 2015 - Fighting

May 31st 2015 - Fighting

This quote just about sums up today.  My eldest son has been nasty to the youngest and therefore the youngest has decided to take it upon himself to beat up his eldest brother.  To the extent the eldest has been crying.

I split them up by bringing the youngest downstairs, the eldest comes downstairs and the youngest throws himself at eldest again "because he hadn't finished his fight".  Apparently it will teach him not to be nasty again!

The joys of having 3 boys that fight loads!  I'm quite lucky it has never ended very seriously or with injuries!

May 17th 2015 - Plastic tub boat

May 17th 2015 - Plastic tub boat

Lil man has a plastic box outside (bigger than A4  and about 10cm deep) that he keeps all of his sand pit toys in, but it has no lid!  This means that the rain can get in it, this isn't a big problem as the sand pit toys are all plastic.

It has rained a fair bit over the past few days so there is loads of water in it.  Lil man has decided today to remove all the sand pit toys so that he has a boating lake for his toy boats (bath ones) and those for his toy soldiers. 

He had 1 toy soldier in each boat as thats all he could fit in.  I saw 1 of my small plastic tupperware tubs (margerine tub size) near the sand pit (no idea what its doing in the garden but never mind!)  So I got it and put it in the water, lil man was impressed it floats!  So I told him to put his soldiers in it and he said "but it will sink Mummy".  I told him to try it.  He puts 1 in and was happy it still floated, so I told him to put another in.  Again he was happy it still floated.

Anyway he turns round and says " I bet it would sink if I put 10 soldiers in it".  So I told him to try.  He ran indoors and fetched more soldiers and started putting them in the tub.  All I hear is "Mummy, it still floats with 10 soldiers in it, i'm going to add more" as he runs past me and upstairs.  He comes down with even more soldiers and goes back to his tub of water.

I go outside and see what he's up to and he now has 15 soldiers in the tub and it still floats!  The tub is full and he can't get anymore soldiers in it as they are pilled on top of each other.  He says "I know how to  make it sink......" and proceeds to fill the "boat" with water to make it sink. lol!

What he didn't realise was that his innocent playing was actually learning and numbers and science of floatation.  Play to learning and all through a tub of water,some boats and soldiers. All was good until he decided to see if his shoe would float and he took it off and put in the water - it didnt float and he now has a wet shoe!  BOYS will be BOYS!!!

indestructible boys school shoes???

DO such a thing exist???  I'm starting this post of the thought of NO they don't!!!  And I have very good reasons for believing this.  Read on.

My middle son is 8years old, he seems to be dead set on destroying EVERY pair of school shoes we buy him.  He has gone through 10 pairs since September 2013, two of which he has ruined THIS WEEK ALONE!  I wouldn't mind if he was outgrowing them or they were generally worn.  BUT he either sits and picks at the stitching/material on the top of toes so he gets a hole or he is skidding and playing football on the concrete playground and making holes in the sole.

We have had shoes from George, Next, Tesco, Shoe Zone and Brantano.  All of which have ended their life very quickly and gone in the bin.  I can't say that I remember which particular brand lasted the longest but none have been very long.  Admittedly, I don't buy expensive shoes but this is for the reason that he will do the same to them as he does the cheaper ones.

BUT is it any wonder when most of the sole are almost smoothe and have very little tread to start with and are plasticy synthetic???  Where are the thick, chunky rubber or leather soled soles of a few years ago???  Yes, that would be right they cost more money to produce, so our kids have to suffer.  Now don't get me wrong I know my son is wrecking his shoes but what use are these plasticy non grip shoes if the weather turns icy???  No use at all!!!

I have just about had enough of it.  I started a google search under "indestructible school shoes" and was very pleased to see pages after pages of mums in a similar situation to me, desperate to find a solution to their children ruining school shoes, some in the same way as my son, others through scuffing of general wear and tear. 

Well I kept reading and eventually came to a post from an American forum and the suggestion believe it or not was "Skate trainers/shoes!"  Not something I had thought of I must admit, but when I started looking and reading more on the subject the soles are much thicker and chunkier than normal school shoes for the reason when used on a skateboard they need to be thick to withstand the pushing motion on concrete!  BONUS just what I am after.  And even better is when I can find them cheaper than I have been paying for school shoes.  They will be being ordered asap.

So as you can see in the space of this post my opinion of "indestructable school shoes" has changed a complete circle from not believing they exist to finding a solution.  Lets hope that they work!!!  watch out for the update.